Kids and Guinea Pigs: Teaching Responsibility

A living being is a big responsibility.

Guinea Pig as First Pet: The Home got a call one December from a woman who wanted a guinea pig for her son for Christmas. The boy was almost six, and she thought the guinea pig would help his "learn responsibility." The mother said she really wanted a dog but was going to "start small, with something that will not take a lot of time."

I cried inside for whatever guinea pig would end up in this household (The Home would not adopt to them). A living being should not be an educational toy.

How, then, to teach responsibility?

Teaching by Example: One can't teach responsibility by giving a child a job he can't do. Parents can teach appropriate animal care by example, leaving no doubt about whose responsibility the pet is. The Home has adopted many guinea pigs to families with children, but the first thing The Home asks callers who say their child wants a guinea pig is: Do YOU want a guinea pig?

Qualified Pet Owners: The almost six-year-old boy should be told, "You can't have a pet until you can take care of one. That means not only feeding and cleaning and attention, but money and a car for vet trips, and a place where the animal can live with you for the natural length of her life.

But - doesn't that rule out teenagers too, and most college students? Yes, it does. Only adults (and not all of them) are qualified to have pets.

The Animal Pays the Price: Getting a pet "for" a child is a misallotment of responsibility that can have dire consequences for the pet. A sad scene, for example, which I have seen several times goes like this: A mother brings a cat to a shelter, explaining, "My daughter is grown now; she left her cat. I'm tired of him. The middle-aged cat’s chances of adoption are slim. Who really is to blame here? The mother allowed the cat in the home knowing his life expectancy. The responsibility for the cat was hoisted on the daughter when she was in no position to take it.

A Guinea Pig's Life Span: A guinea pig should be expected to live 4 to 6 years. An adult in the household must be in charge of the animal's care in those years. In such a setting, a guinea pig can be a cherished family pet, much more than "something that will not take a lot of time."

Teaching Irresponsibility: The sad truth is that many pet guinea pigs live in a child's bedroom, socially deprived while the child is elsewhere most of each day.

"I am teaching responsibility," the parent may claim. "He has to take care of that guinea pig himself."

If the water bottle is empty and the cage damp and filthy, does the mother even know? In fact, she is teaching that it is acceptable to put a life in the hands of someone who does not take care of it.

And THAT is teaching IRRESPONSIBILTY.